Since i didn’t know what to write about today, i just decided to cook.. If the first course i made for the incomplete menu had to be something traditional, sophisticated but also good for the belly, today’s challenge is to create something simple with fresh ingredients, but really tasty and inventive.
Since i’ve been eating fish fot he last days, i though buying some fish was a good idea anyway.
I went to the fish market and i got a nice good sized seabream, then i visited my local fruit and veg and bought some herbs, carrot, celery, red onion from Tropea, renown for being sweet and intensegonna make a cold salad with seabream and some tipical Roman flavousr with a twist: something summery, delicate, something i can bring to my friends’ mothers on the beach lol!
I used to go to the beach alone since i was 9, as my dad and mum don’t like the sea that much, and i was always trying to get my independence but this small community of mothers looked after me with kindness and gelati everytime. Now it is time to give back and face a whole bunch of the tough judges. To please them i also bought some chickpeas (ceci). Ceci are something very traditional in the Roman diet: usually eaten in soups with pasta (Pasta e ceci), ceci have plenty of different uses. For example a Roman saying goes “You should be put on your knees on dry chickpeas”. This is what happened, not even ages ago, to children who were punished for their bad beahaviour by priests and teachers in order to get the right attitude through pain and meditation. Extreme uh? No surprise children are not great Pasta and Ceci fans. Anyway this is what i made today:
Insalata di Orata e Ceci con erbette – cold seabream and chickpea salad with carrot, celery, red onion, wine vinegar, white wine and mix Italian herbs
I cooked the chickpeas with a onion, celery and carrot base, then i added a splash of wine vinegar and a splash of wine and low the fire. In the meantime i stuffed the seabram with parsley, lemon juice and salt and put in the oven for about 15 mins. Once they are ready we wnat them to cool down. Afterwards we have to debone the seabream and we can leave it in a bowl with wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and some finely chooped Italian herbs for about 30 minutes. When we are ready and we had a nice glass of wine we can think of plating this cold salad. Have a look:)
This dish will feature on the our next menu on 24/08 as it is the second mysterious course revealed out of three.
If you wanna book for our next events click the obvious link below. Stay tuned: last days in Rome and still a recipe i have to come up with! the mums’ verdict tomorrow 😀
and follow us Follow @BackDoorKitchen
backdoor47 